Power And Control in 1984

Summary: This essay examines the warnings that Orwell provides about the use of power to control society.

1984 is a novel about using power to control society. George Orwell's novel was published in 1949 and this is significant because World War II had recently ended and the Nazi dictatorship of Adolph Hitler in Germany had been defeated. This was not an end to dictatorship around the world, however, because Joseph Stalin controlled Russia much the same way that Hitler had controlled Germany and Mao was in charge of China. Propaganda, fear, murder and thought control were methods that Hitler, Stalin and Mao used to gain power and to control their countries. In 1984, many similarities exist between the novel and Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia and Mao's China. Big Brother could easily represent Hitler, Stalin and Mao. The Communist and Fascist parties are present in 1984's "Party". Goldstein symbolizes the internal enemies of Hitler, Stalin and Mao.